Tag: Jake Eldridge

What Rutgers football players will be enrolling in January? How about June?

A running list of when Rutgers football players will be enrolling on campus.

Rutgers football is going to have several members of the 2023 recruiting class set to enroll in January, giving a significant leg up for the development of the incoming freshman.

The 2023 class is ranked No. 52 in the nation according to 247Sports. It features some solid prospects and several under-the-radar players including six players from Florida.

Rutgers Wire has learned that the following players will be enrolling in January:

  • LB [autotag]Abram Wright[/autotag]
  • TE [autotag]Logan Blake[/autotag]
  • LS [autotag]Jake Eldridge[/autotag]
  • WR [autotag]Jesse Ofurie[/autotag]
  • OL[autotag] John Stone[/autotag]

Rutgers Wire has learned that the following players will be enrolling in June:

  • DL [autotag]JaSire Peterson[/autotag]
  • OL [autotag]Mozell Williams[/autotag]

Undecided as to enrolling in January or June:

  • WR [autotag]Famah Toure[/autotag]

Several players are still deciding their status as their high school seasons wind down.

Florida has the highest representation in this recruiting class with six players followed by New Jersey (four) and New York (three). Rutgers is still recruiting players for the 2023 class including Maryland linebacker Nnamdi Udeogu.

Jake Eldridge, a five-star long snapper, breaks down his Rutgers football commitment

Newest Rutgers football commit Jake Eldridge breaks down his decision.

On Monday night, Rutgers football got a commitment from Jake Eldridge. The highly-regarded long snapper comes to the program from the IMG Academy.

Ranked a five-star and the No. 2 long snapper in the nation by Rubio Long Snapping, Eldridge fills a position of need for head coach Greg Schiano’s rebuilding roster. The news of Eldrige’s commitment comes two days after the Scarlet Knights started the season with a comeback 22-21 win at Boston College.

As for the latest commitment to the class of 2023, Eldridge chose Rutgers over several Power Five offers. He told RutgersWire on Monday following his commitment why he thinks the program is the right fit for him and the process he went through to come to this decision.

“The decision to commit was based on many different aspects, both on the academic and athletic side. Academically, I am wanting to go into business (or) finance and with Rutgers proximity to New York City and Wall Street, I figured there is no better place to do it,” Eldridge said.

“Football-wise, Rutgers has shown me the most love from Day 1, and they value special teams more than anywhere else I have visited which is great to see being a specialist. I think coach Schiano is building something great there, and I want to be a part of it.”

The staff, Eldridge said, was excited when he made the decision and notified them:

“I FaceTime’d coach (Keith) Bruno (Special teams assistant) on Monday afternoon, and he handed the phone to coach Schiano,” Eldridge said.

“After talking for a brief period of time, I told him I would be committing to Rutgers, and the room erupted with pure excited. That moment reassured me that I just made the right decision and that I was truly wanted there.”

Throughout his recruitment, Eldridge had several visits to programs including visiting Notre Dame, Indiana, Virginia, UCLA, University of Miami, Rutgers, and Northwestern among others. He held offers from Air Force, Miami and UCLA as well as Rutgers.

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Over the summer, he was committed to UCLA.

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Commitment alert: Rutgers football lands five-star long snapper Jake Eldridge

Rutgers gets a five-star commit in long snapper Jake Eldridge

Rutgers football landed a commitment on Monday night from long snapper Jake Eldridge. The verbal from Eldridge is significant as he is a five-star prospect.

The IMG Academy product is ranked as one of the top long snappers in the nation. According to the Rubio Long Snapping rankings, he is the second-best long snapper in the nation and ranked a five-star.

Eldridge holds offers from Rutgers, UCLA, and Air Force.

 

Eldridge previously committed to UCLA as a walk on, but has switched his commitment to Rutgers after a good visit back in June. He liked the facilities and the people during his first ever visit to the Garden State.

“First off, everyone in the area seemed really nice and welcoming, which is good to see,” Eldridge said. “I’d never been to New Jersey before so I didn’t know what to expect. I really loved the town and the campus. It was not your usual campus with them having three campuses so I wasn’t sure how I was going to like that, but I loved it when I was there.“

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Fans know that it is not often that offers are made to long snappers, and the Texas native is well aware also. Head coach Greg Schiano’s emphasis on special teams over the years really stood out to the highly touted prospect.

“I picked them because they showed me the most love from Day One. Being a special teams player, I’ve seen that is the school that values special teams the most out of any, which is really important for me. I am very grateful for the opportunity they gave me, and for believing in me. I know there are not a lot of offers like that going out to snappers. For it to be at a school I am really happy with is exciting.“

There are currently two former Scarlet Knights in the NFL who are currently long snappers, although they played multiple positions while in Piscataway. Clark Harris (left in 2007) is snapping for the Cincinatti Bengals, while Andrew DePaola is playing for the Minnesota Vikings and has been in the league since 2014. 

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